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Synopsis

Jennifer was born 6 July 1958 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, UK. Her mother was a biology teacher, and her father served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. In 1977, she attended the Central School of Speech and Drama where she met her comedy partner Dawn French. After graduating Jennifer began her career at The Comedy Store in London, and it was during this time she was to meet comedian, actor and writer Adrian Edmondson, who would later become her husband. After starring in, and having great success with, The Comic Strip Presents..., The Young Ones, Girls on Top and Happy Families, Jennifer went on to write a TV show, entitled 'Modern Mother and Daughter', which led Jennifer to write and create a brand new series: Absolutely Fabulous. Absolutely Fabulous became one of the most loved, hilarious, and ingenious TV shows in history, and the part Jennifer was to play, Edina 'Eddie' Monsoon, brought her international acclaim and attention.
Although perhaps best known for her role as Eddie, working alongside the glamorous Joanna Lumley, Jennifer's career has taken her on many different paths, including working on the internationally successful movie Shrek 2 as the voice of the Fairy Godmother, declining on OBE and ranking fifth in Top Gear's 'Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car' challenge. In July 2010, Jennifer was to perhaps face her toughest challenge yet - being diagnosed with breast cancer. Since her diagnosis she has made a full recovery and reprised her role as Eddie in Absolutely Fabulous for a Christmas special in 2011. This is Jennifer's full, unauthorised story.

About the author

Jacky Hyams is a freelance journalist, editor, columnist adn author with over 25 years experience in writing for mass market magazines and newspapers in the UK and Australia. A Londoner who has spent many years travelling, Jacky's feature writing career was launched in Sydney, Australia, where she wrote extensively for the Sydney Morning Herald, Sun Herald, Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, Good Housekeeping, New Idea, Cleo and The Australian Women's Weekly. Returning to London, Jacky spent several years as a women's magazine editor on Bella Magazine, followed by six years as a weekly columnist for the London Evening Standard. Her memoir, Bombsites and Lollipops: My 1950s East End Childhood, was published by John Blake Publishing in 2011. Jacky is also the author of The Real Downton Abbey, a brief guide to the Edwardian era, also published by John Blake Publishing in 2011.